Getting Into College

So here are some frequently asked questions....

2008-06-15T16:56:00.003-05:00

It has been a while since my last post, however, I have been dutifully answering your questions and here go some of the questions I have answered...

1. How large are the introductory classes(e.g. calculus, chemistry,etc.)? do you find the size of the classes to be a problem or beneficial to you? Do professors in the classes actually teach(or do they just refer you to the student assistants) and keep "human" office hours so that you could ask them questions?
The Pre-med courses are normally the largest since on avg, about 60-80 out of a class are pre-med. Also, although the classes are somewhat harder than others, the professors, ACTUALLY teach, believe it or not, and there are many student assistants. Here we have GLG, which is guided learning group for biology taught by BIO majors, and right now I meet weekly with my Bio prof, just to chat about bio and various other things. The difference here is that Profs actually WANT you to learn this stuff. There is a huge emphasis on that.

2. How has the Honor Code benefited (and/or worsened) your college experience at Haverford so far?

To be completely honest, the honor code hasn't had that much of an impact on my experience here. I suppose the only tangible benefits are having the ability to take self scheduled final exams and take home exams more often than at other schools. Also many students take advantage of the fact that we can drink etc. here without security/administration punishing us. The whole idea is that we should self-govern, and I really like that idea. On the other hand, my one pet peeve is many people can take it too far and feel that they can "police" others for their language use etc. But I don't surround myself with those people.

3. Transferring from high school to Haverford, is there any changes in study habits that you made in order for your grades to continue their place in HS (or did your grades drop in Haverford)?

Well, my grades actually significantly improved from HS. I have changed my study habits some, but then again being pre-med, there are certain courses that you take that might be easier for you, so you take them.

4. Do you recommend exempting out of classes in the pre-med core curriculum by using AP Credits ( I understand Haverford is very restrictive with this.)???
Well, from what I understand most med schools want to see COLLEGE level sciences, and Haverford won't let you be exempt. They may put you in advanced classes if you have AP credit, for example in Chemistry or Calculus, but really if you don't want to be a chem/math major, and are just pre-med, I suggest taking the regular classes. And for pre-med/biology major YOU HAVE to take chemistry at Haverford to take bio.
Finally, the last questions are question related to pre-med classes. I hope you could answer them.
6. Which courses are "hard" courses for Haverfords pre-med students? I know that Chemistry may be hard (different from AP Chem. from what I heard). Any other classes to watch out for???
The chem is different here, as they prepare you for the next pre-med class BIO, so the end of chemistry will have some biochemistry. I think what you really need to watch out for is Orgo. Chem….Gen chem (freshman year) is not all that bad, but a lot of people are weeded out in the process. Don't forget that Haverford is a LAC so you will have to take other courses outside of Premed. When you get here…you will find out who to take and who not to take especially if you are premed!!

7. How is the student environment at HC?? Is cheating or damaging other's research projects often in this school?
I don't know if people cheat, on tests per say, every year there are incidences of plagiarism etc. I mean it is bound to happen. You can check out some of the honor code abstracts (summaries) online http://www.students.haverford.edu/code/community/abstracts.html. Also people aren't so COMPETITIVE here, which is good because there is a huge amount of respect for others' work and thoughts, but then again I meet a lot of Haverford Alums who are SO humble about the amazing things they do.

8. Haverford often advertises that 90% of its students get admitted to med schools. While that may sound hard to believe, the college attributes this rate to its strong advising. From other college students' responses, I haven't heard how advising really impacts them. When students actually survive the four years, which medical school is common among haverford students to be admitted after undergrad?
Well the deal is that it is 90% of the students that apply, and I don't know the figure, but it is probably around 50 or so, 5 years after graduation. Probably a lot lower though. I mean, we have a strong premed program. We are ranked number 13 out of the top 50 Feeder schools into the four most prestigious Med School Programsn, I really don't think the advising has much of an impact, so far, to be honest. I do however think that since Haverford is SUCH a small school, the recommendations are a lot better, and with the added attn in classes, students have better grades. I think it varies, I know a lot of kids go to UPENN, since we have a pretty good connection there, others into PCOM(osteopathy), also into the Ivies. Most students take a gap year or two which is what I plan to do.

Hope this helps, email me if you have any questions/want clarifications.

The "Total Package": SATs

2008-01-18T21:42:00.001-05:00

Welcome to the new section "The Total Package", throughout this series I will write about the ways you can enhance your application and shine through the pages of your application. The first topic I am writing on is the thing we all love...the SATs.

I despised the SATs, but we all have to take it, or some form of it to get into college, like the ACT that many schools are accepting instead. So I am sharing some of the knowledge I learned about the SAT, because I wish someone would have told me these hints before. Your scores do count...make them the best.

The first thing I learned was that you have to treat the SAT like a game. This is why males traditionally perform better on the SAT than females, because they treat it as a game. It does not measure your academic excellence, rather it is a measure of how well your brain performs under pressure.

Get This Book...The Rocket Review Revolution

This book was AMAZING....I raised my overall score by 150 points. No lie! It was the best 30$ I have ever spent. The book was easy and fun to read. It gave me a lot of great hints and strategies. It is a FAST and EASY way to teach yourself everything you need to know about the SAT, including tactics for the writing section, how to tackle the math you learned 3 years ago and how to get the best verbal score. It also comes with a great CD-ROM complete with practice tests.

IN A CRUNCH...ONLY 2 weeks left to raise your score???
This book has an outline of the most important topics to learn when in a crunch

SAT Prep Courses

I have heard the best course to take is the Princeton Review course. However, I was never really a fan of these, as they really didn't help me that much. Although for many people may benefit from having a set time to study for the SAT. Whereas if you are like me, the best way I prepared was by teaching it to myself.

Looking at SAT scores on College Profiles

I suggest looking at the college profiles to get a general gist of the acceptable scores, however if you are some points below, don't forget that your SAT score is not the determining factor of your admission to your dream school.

My final words are make sure to get that book if you want to raise your score. Honestly it really made a big difference in my scores. Amazon has it for a great price. Go and get it, it will truly change things for the better.

Choosing A College: Best Matches and Safety Schools Galore

2008-01-18T20:31:00.000-05:00

When looking at colleges I STRONGLY suggest checking out the statistics of the most recent class.

Get a sense of the average GPA and SAT scores

Remember these numbers are the averages and that many score below and many score above these numbers

Posting/Asking about chances at a particular school

My best advice is not to do this, because no one will know for sure if you will gain admittance but the admissions committee on the day they review your application.
Don't listen to other high school students about where your scores will get you in, it doesn't matter what they think. They don't know, they haven't even finished the college admissions process yet!

DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED....APPLY, APPLY, APPLY!!!

Use these numbers to get an estimate of where you fit in at certain schools.

If you are above the numbers, this could be a potential safety/best fit.

If you are below the numbers, this could be a potential reach for you.

Safety School DOES NOT mean Sure Shot

It happened to me, I did not get into any of my safety schools! I had higher stats than all of these school's average scores.

Showing that admission to a school is a gamble...

On Tuesday they need tuba players, and on Wednesday they need artists, but you're an artist and they reviewed your application on Tuesday...I'm sure you can see the outcome

Whereas, I know a student who got into all of the schools they applied to

Showing that you should not be afraid to aim a little higher when applying to schools

Again do NOT be discouraged by the average stats, they are only numbers. Which is why you need to make sure your application is MORE than a number, especially when applying to smaller schools. Scores ARE important, but the person behind the scores are just as or even more important.

In future sections, I will discuss ways and techniques to enhance your "total package" (Scores, GPA, application, Teacher Recs, College Essay, Interview) to become the best applicant in order to get into your dream school.

Choosing A College: The Price$$$

2008-01-09T03:36:00.000-05:00

When looking at colleges many students and parents are shocked by the rising costs of a college education. Although it is good to look at the cost of tuition and have a sense of available aid to assist you, my suggestion is that before you are accepted ignore the price.

Ignoring the price

This is the one time in your life when you should ignore the price. WHY ignore the price?

Because I have seen many of my fellow students fall into a trap, where they do not apply to schools where they may have been accepted to, simply because of the cost.

THIS IS BAD!!!
Think about the costs after you receive your acceptance letter and aid package

You never know what the school may offer you. Many schools have scholarships and grants that they do not advertise.
There are plenty of websites such as Fastweb.com, that list scholarships and grants, GO TO THEM!
Plus, there are always loans ready and available for your taking

There is no better investment than your education

PLEASE...don't let your dream school pass you by simply because you think the cost will be too much

(Haverford Specific): The Oh so famous Honor Code

2008-01-07T22:44:00.000-05:00

I know many of you may be writing the Haverford Honor code essay, as you read this...so I thought I would share some of my thoughts about the Haverford Honor Code. The honor code at Haverford is unique as we have a social honor code, as well as the academic honor code.

Academic Code: The academic honor code is mainly concerned with cheating and plagiarism, which is a very serious matter at Haverford given that we have self scheduled, unproctored final exams and take home tests.

Social Code: The social honor code at Haverford attempts to create an environment of "trust, concern, and respect", which it does in some manner. Sometimes this so-called environment promotes an atmosphere where one feels they must "walk on eggshells" in conversations to create this, which I feel is a misinterpretation of the code. Many people feel they can't say certain things, or feel they must be "politically correct" in a discussion rather than saying what they truly feel.

Confrontation: I feel many people at Haverford tend to misconstrue the idea of confrontation. Confronting people to turn down their techno music, by saying that you don't like that kind of music and then expecting that the person will turn down the music, is not what the honor code is all about. The confronter should not expect the confrontee will automatically turn down their music. Furthermore, issues like these come up a lot. BUT....when a person actually has an issue with a person's actions or words, they almost Never confront them

Theft at Haverford: This is a life lesson....If you leave your stuff out in public, the chances of it getting stolen are HIGH...even at a "perfect little bubble" like Haverford. Recently the school has encountered many thefts, specifically around finals week, and over breaks.

*If you don't read anything else...Remember...
Just because there's an honor code, does not mean that everyone respects it, or even knows about it.

Again, make sure to visit the school to get your own opinion.

Choosing a College: Take A Tour...Can I see myself here?

2008-01-07T03:22:00.000-05:00

TAKE A TOUR......Better Yet, Stay Overnight, if you can. The best way to get a true feel for a school is to take a tour of the school and stay over night. Who knows if the administrators and the kids the administrators choose are telling the whole truth about a school. OF COURSE they want to make everything seem perfect...that's their job. So Ask the odd questions.
Some things to check out while at a school...

School Newspaper

This can give you intimate clues about the schools ongoing issues or problems and how they manage to resolve them

Cafeteria

Don't eat the catered lunch, eat the real college food...can you last there for months on this stuff? Is it edible?

Dorm Rooms

Check out multiple rooms around campus, think about living situations and bathroom situations, can you see yourself there?

Visit Some Classes/Pick up a Course Catalog

Does the school have your intended major? Visit a class to see the caliber of work that is expected of students

Set up a meeting with a professor, many professors are more than happy to speak with you about their academic department and the work they do

How are the classes taught...discussion, lecture, problem solving, group learning? Small/Large Class?

Check out the surrounding area

Is it too rural/urban/suburban? Remember you will likely stay there for the next four years.

What is the social scene like?

What do the majority of people do on the weekdays/weekends for fun, trust me it matters.

Local Transportation

Will you need a car to get off campus, for fun, jobs, volunteering?

Is there accessible public transportation?

Are there places to live nearby?

Many schools do NOT guarantee housing for all four years, is there affordable housing in the surrounding areas?

Other Colleges

If you get tired of the social bubble at your school are there other colleges nearby where you can network with new faces?

Choosing A College: A word on Rankings

2008-01-07T02:58:00.000-05:00

Let me first start off by saying that I am not big on the US News Rankings and other ranking sites. I think they are a great starting point for you to begin looking at schools and getting some names in your mind, but beyond that a school that is number 1 on their list may not be number 1 for you. Think about the school as a whole, rather than their ranking. Interestingly enough, most rankings are based on facts such as the percentage of alumni who donate back to the school, and the percent of faculty that publish every year, If these things are the MOST important for you when looking at schools, by all means take the rankings literally, but for the rest, please take it with a grain of salt. Don't let your dream school slip through your hands, simply because it was ranked lower. For this reason, many schools such as Bryn Mawr and Haverford among others have removed their respective rankings from publications released by the schools.

If you don't read anything else....Visit the School...Then YOU decide what YOU would rank it!

Welcome to Getting In 101

2008-01-06T23:34:00.000-05:00

Hey Everyone...Welcome to my site,
My name is Gwendolyn and I am a sophomore at Haverford College class of 2010. I started this site because I always wished I had someone to get advice from who had already gone through the process and wasn't over the age of 30. I hope I can answer any questions you may have on the college admissions process and about Haverford College. I will give my perspective and thoughts on everything from SATs to preparing for college applications to actually applying for colleges. I can't however give you any advice on your chances at a particular school, simply because the majority of getting in is random in my opinion. However, you want to make sure you are THE best candidate who has THE most to offer to the school. That is what they are truly looking for. I'm not saying all of you need to go out and stop wars and save the hungry to get into the school of your choice, although that could be a plus...but you should aim to portray your true self and emphasize your best attributes. You can reach me through this site or at collegeadvice2010@gmail.com with any questions, comments, or concerns.